Hurdles are used in a wide variety of athletic events. For example, some track and field events include placing a series of spaced apart hurdles along a running track. Athletes must cross over the hurdles while competing with each other in a race. These types of hurdles are usually several feet high, and the various athletic organizations have adopted defined heights for the hurdles for a specific racing event, league, or competition.
Similarly, hurdles are also used for training purposes. An athlete positions one or more hurdles along a path and perform training drills that usually include crossing over each hurdle. Training hurdles are usually positioned low to the ground as shown in the attached FIGS. 1A (PRIOR ART) and 1B (PRIOR ART). Common heights for these types of hurdles are between 6 inches to 12 inches from the ground.
It is desirable for hurdles to be economical to manufacture and purchase, portable, easy and compact to store when not in use, easy to set-up and use, easily height adjustable, and easily deflected if contacted during use while remaining stable in wind and the like. To date, known hurdle structures have had limited success with optimizing these desirable characteristics.